Fighter jets target Haftar’s forces – Salvini says there’s a third country which is pushing for military escalation
3302 Mins Read
Fighter jets have targeted forces under the command Khalifa Haftar in a bid to halt his military assault on the capital, Tripoli, that threatens to further destabilise the country.
The BBCreports that fresh fighting has flared near the Libyan capital, Tripoli, between pro-government forces and rebel fighters from the east of the country. Reports say rebel forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar are near the outskirts on three sides, about 25km (15 miles) from the centre.
Al Jazeera reports that Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) said in a statement on Saturday it was carrying out an operation to secure Tripoli’s former international airport, which sits some 30km south of the city, and would later use it as a launching point for missions aimed at seizing key sites within the capital.
The statement came two days after Haftar ordered the eastern forces to march on Tripoli, which is controlled by the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and protected by an array of militias.
Meanwhile, Italian deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that “a particular country” – which he did not name – is pushing towards a military solution in Libya to achieve economic interests.
Salvini said on the sidelines of the G-7 interior ministers meeting in France that he had received information from his country’s intelligence service about developments in Libya, stressing on the need for pacification, according to the Italian news agency “Aki”,
“This country is seeking to achieve economic and commercial interests and wants an armed solution,” Salvini added, saying that “this will be devastating,” according to Aki.
